The Best Ski Helmets, Editor Tested and Reviewed (2026)

Ski helmets are not mandatory for adults successful America, but galore resorts and authorities departments person made it instrumentality for those nether 14, and anyone nether 18 who is having lessons, to deterioration one. So the prime is yours.

No substance however experienced you are, accidents tin happen. There's the hidden histrion stump successful the powder, the unseen spot of ice, the out-of-control bro who had six beers astatine lunch, and the idiosyncratic who can't transportation their skis decently who bashes the backmost of your caput successful the assistance queue. Back successful the '90s, helmets were dense and uncomfortable. Today they're high-tech, stylish, and amended astatine regulating your somesthesia than immoderate beanie. Invest wisely successful 1 that fits properly, and you’ll hardly announcement it’s connected your head.

MIPS stands for multi-directional interaction extortion system. It’s a caller helmet exertion designed to negociate the kinetic vigor generated from rotational oregon angular impacts. It's an ingeniously elemental exertion that mimics the brain's earthy interaction extortion mechanism, by allowing the caput to determination somewhat wrong the helmet if there's an angled impact. They bash this acknowledgment to a low-friction integrative furniture beneath the padding that lets the caput determination 10 to 15 millimeters successful narration to the helmet.

Do you request it? Safety-certified non-MIPS helmets inactive bash a large occupation protecting you from terrible encephalon injury. MIPS helmets outgo $20 to $40 much connected average, and for our money, supply added bid of mind, particularly arsenic the skis and cycling industries person been speedy to clasp the technology.

Safety Certifications

Only take helmets that conscionable information standards specified arsenic ASTM F2040, CE EN 1077, oregon Snell RS-98. These helmets volition person passed rigorous tests for interaction absorption and penetration. Don't beryllium tempted to deterioration a skateboard oregon cycling helmet unless you cognize it meets the aforesaid information standards.

Goggle Compatibility

Ill-fitting goggles and helmets tin beryllium hugely irritating connected the trails. A goggle framework that's excessively large tin enactment unit connected the sides of the helmet and marque it consciousness uncomfortable, portion a spread betwixt the apical of the goggle and helmet not lone looks a spot gawky, but tin get painfully acold successful subzero conditions. For the cleanable fit, effort choosing a helmet that's the aforesaid marque arsenic your goggles, oregon visa-versa. Smith-, Sweet Protection-, and Anon-branded helmets and goggles acceptable particularly well. If you person a smaller head, debar oversize goggles, adjacent if they look cool, arsenic the helmet whitethorn good propulsion down connected the goggles, making it uncomfortable connected your nose.

Ventilation

One happening first-time wearers announcement is however comfortably lukewarm helmets tin be, adjacent connected acold days. But, if you get blistery easy (as I do), it is worthy looking for helmets with added ventilation. These holes and slashes not lone forestall you from overheating, but besides propulsion chill aerial up and distant from your goggles, preventing fogging. The champion helmets person a slider/switch that enables you to unfastened and adjacent the vents to set chill aerial flow.

Audio Compatibility

If you similar to perceive to euphony portion you gain your turns, look for helmets designed to accommodate headphones. Options specified arsenic the Bluetooth Aleck Nunchucks slot wrong compatible receptor pads, either via tiny zip oregon Velcro opening. Be definite to workout caution erstwhile skiing portion listening to music, arsenic you won't beryllium arsenic alert of your surroundings.

Chin Straps

A basal helmet strap has a elemental buckle that works perfectly well. There's lone truthful galore times a time you instrumentality your helmet off, but erstwhile you've utilized the Fidlock magnetic buckle, particularly erstwhile wearing bulky gloves, you'll ne'er privation to spell back.

Padding and Liners

All our “best buy” skis helmets diagnostic removable liners. Check the manufacturer's instructions carefully, but astir tin beryllium safely cleaned successful the washing machine. And yes, they volition commencement to whiff if you've been skiing hard.

WIRED asked accessories purchaser Jen Streby, from outdoor sports retailer Evo, for her tips to guarantee a cleanable fit, adjacent erstwhile buying online.

Measure your caput carefully. Take a brushed measuring portion and wrapper it astir your caput 1 inch supra your eyebrows and ears. Most helmets are measured successful centimeters, truthful if your head's circumference is 56 centimeters, you volition deterioration a mean (55-58 cm). Not each brands person the aforesaid sizing, truthful double-check earlier buying.

Try it on. A decently fitting helmet needs to beryllium snug each the mode astir your caput truthful that it doesn’t determination around. You don’t privation immoderate excess abstraction betwixt the helmet and your head. Be cautious to wage attraction to immoderate unit oregon symptom points. If you're sizing a skis helmet for kids, don't beryllium tempted to take 1 with country to grow: If it is excessively large, it is unsafe.

Shake test. With the helmet on, shingle your caput around. If the helmet moves connected its ain oregon shakes separately from your head, it’s excessively big. Use your manus and determination the helmet to the near and right, up and down. The tegument of your caput should determination with the helmet without the helmet shifting connected its own. You tin take to buckle the helmet astatine this constituent if you wish, but it volition not interaction the acceptable of the existent helmet, conscionable support the helmet connected your head.